Chris Iams, our Director of IT, has spent much of his time over the last 20 years volunteering to train dogs for Canine Companions for Independence® (CCI).
This organization focuses on training service dogs for wounded veterans, children and adults with disabilities, individuals who are mobility or hearing impaired, and others.
Chris indicated that some organizations charge up to $60,000 for a service dog, but he volunteers for CCI because this organization provides them at no cost to those in need. Volunteers at CCI train the canines for two years, and the ones that pass, roughly 40%, are ultimately given away to individuals at the end of the training process.
One of Chris’s latest graduates, Igor, currently works with no less than 500 children each month and is featured on CCI’s website.